Term Limits by Vince Flynn Several congresscritters are "surgically removed" by experts. The FBI, CIA and a crusading young congressman investigate. What sets Term Limits apart from other mainstream thrillers is that in this case the murderers are the good guys. A pretty good page turner. The Mitzvah by Aaron Zelman and L. Neil Smith The founder of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership and the libertarian movement's favorite SF writer have produced a short, fast-paced intellectual thriller. A Catholic monsignor learns he was, by birth, a German Jew whose parents died in a concentration camp. The discovery takes him on a journey of the spirit -- and into the realm of self-defense. Captain Anger Adventure #1 by Victor Koman The latest from the best unknown SF writer on the planet. It's diffrent than much of his other work. In this one, Captain Richard Anger races to find a cure for the silver-liquid death, he pilots his sea-going superjet to a mysterious island of strange metallic mountains and steel-clad shores. There he and his companions--Rock, Leila, Tex, and Sun Ra--must use their wits and their weapons of super-science to stop an insane genius before he tears the earth apart. The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible by Ken Schooland Here's one for the kids! Jonathan Gullible has adventures in a strange land where people have given up responsibility for their own lives and become dependent on "authority." What a strange land that must be! Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles Rawles' novel has been described as a survival manual disguised as fiction. That's a pretty good assessment. Forever Flowing by Vasily Grossman Grossman, who died in 1964, wrote of the horrors of the Stalinist era -- but with a soaring belief that freedom would prevail. This book isn't great as a novel, but it's as good an account of the workings of tyranny (and the everyday attitudes that enable tyranny) as I've ever read. Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz Even if you're not normally a fan of horror-thriller writer Koontz, this one's worth the read. It's a powerful story about privacy, technology, love, secrets -- and a deranged government agent who wants to "help" everyone to death. Transfer: The End of the Beginning by Jerry Furland America transfers to digital currency and a cashless society at the opening of the new millennium. Utopia is at hand. Financial crime is at an end. Or has untold horror just begun? All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren This fictionalized account of the career of Huey "Kingfish" Long, dictator of Louisiana, was written when Clinton was a toddler. The Big C must have used it as his textbook. This novel is wordy by today's standards, but it is a piercingly written portrait of a power seeker and of the self-abasement of those who try to live in his orbit. Some consider it among the greatest American novels. It is less about politics than about human nature. Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett One of the latest in Pratchett's fantasy/humor Discworld series. If you haven't read the earlier Discworld books, don't start with this one. (See below.) If you have read others, you'll be thrilled to discover how overtly (and hysterically) anti-authoritarian Pratchett's books are becoming. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett Ditto. Another recent Discworld book filled with both weird fun and many provocative, witty observations on freedom and justice. The Light Fantastic and The Colour of Magic By Terry Pratchett The Colour of Magic was the very first Discworld book. The Light Fantastic was the second, and closely related, volume. Meet Rincewind, the hapless wannabe "wizzard," Twoflower, the ever-optimistic tourist, Cohen the Barbarian, and The Luggage, the fiercest suitcase ever to walk on legs. Great fun. Nothing overtly political here, but Terry Pratchett is clearly a freedom lover who enjoys poking fun at the pretensions of authority. Unintended Consequences by John Ross This is the novel of the gun-rights movement. I admit I'm not personally a fan. But every time I leave it off a list of recommended books, I'm bombarded by mail from devotees. It contains much technical information about firearms and considerable discourse upon gun laws. Though there's only a tiny bit of plot, its theme of "payback time" against politicians and bureaucrats satisfies some freedom lovers' bitter fantasies. Kings of the High Frontier by Victor Koman Amazon.com has finally listed this book! It is the best SF novel written in the last decade -- an inspiring story about a near-future, private enterprise leap into space. It's vast, it's human, it's inspiring. And best of all, maybe something like it is even possible. I sure hope it's possible. Human's can't long endure a single planet, once it's lost its frontiers -- it's havens where freedom lovers can roam. Victor gives us hope -- as well as a romping, rousing good story. Solomon's Knife by Victor Koman Is it possible that there's a solution to the abortion dilemma that could please both pro-choicers and anti-abortionists? In this novel, which is as thoughtful as it is well-told, Victor Koman proposes one, which might be possible in the near future. The Jehovah Contract by Victor Koman When the World's Greatest Hit Man (the real assassin of Kennedy, King and others) is diagnosed with cancer, a mysterious stranger makes him an offer he can't refuse; his cancer will be cured if he agrees to the Ultimate Contract -- assassinate the Supreme Being. He's aided on his quest by a beautiful witch and a 14-year-old telepathic prostitute. Victor explores human perception of God, religion and death as his hero tries to determine how to fulfill his contract, and discovers that little of what we believe is what it seems. Not a book for people unwilling to have their perceptions challenged. Free Space Edited by Edward Kramer and Brad Linaweaver Reviewed elsewhere on Wolfe's Lodge, Free Space is a collection of mostly libertarian stories, most published here for the first time. Writers include Gregory Benford, James Hogan, L. Neil Smith, Victor Koman Robert Anton Wilson -- and even William F. Buckley! The Probability Broach by L. Neil Smith Congress is in Colorado. Everybody carries guns. And there are gorillas in the Senate. Free enterprise is king. And there's no such thing a a free lunch. This is the novel that won L. Neil Smith the first of his two Prometheur Awards for Best Libertarian Fiction, and put him on the map as the foremost libertarian science fiction writer today. Pallas by L. Neil Smith Pallas is a colonized asteroid and home to the Greeley Project, a colony/prison under the direction of former U.S. Senator Gibson Altman. Young Emerson Ngu, escapee from the Greeley Project and husband to Altman's daughter, uses his talents to achieve dazzling success. Now it's a standoff that Pallas may not survive. This isn't my personal favorite Neil Smith book, but it's such a favorite with gun-rights folks that I just had to list it here. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein It's been described as "the American Revolution, as fought on the Moon." And I love it above all SF books. Led by a one-armed computer technician, a radical blonde bombshell, an aging academic, and a sentient computer, the revolution's proclamation--"TANSTAAFL" (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch)--remains a slogan of the libertarian movement today. And the novel itself remains a magnificent romp. Paths to Otherwhere by James P. Hogan Oh, to be free by escaping into an alternative time. Hogan turns that fantasy a into beautiful, well-plotted novel. Deep as the Marrow by F. Paul Wilson When the president of the United States decides to back the legalization of marijuana, organized crime leaders decide to kill him. To accomplish their ends, they coerce the president's best friend and physician to kill him for them. But in order to do this, they kidnap the doctor's daughter. A pot-boiler, but a darned good one. 1984 by George Orwell Newspeak, doublethink, thoughtcrime--in 1984, George Orwell created a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control that have since passed into our common vocabulary. More importantly, he has portrayed a chillingly credible dystopia. In our deeply anxious world, the seeds of unthinking conformity are everywhere in evidence; and Big Brother is always looking for his chance. Animal Farm by George Orwell A better story than 1984. Orwell's classic satire centers on the bold struggle to transform Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm--a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. Ha! Watch for the moment the pigs comandeer the apples and milk. That's the moment Orwell himself said the other animals should have awakened and thrown off the power of the pigs. Are we there yet? The Giver by Lois Lowry This story takes place in a nameless, utopian community, at an unidentified future time. Although life seems perfect -- there is no hunger, no disease, no pollution, no fear -- the reader becomes uneasily aware that all is not well. The story is skillfully written; the air of disquiet is delicately insinuated; and the theme of balancing the values of freedom and security is beautifully presented. The ambiguous ending can be read several ways -- all of which made me cry. Children's Story by James Clavell A tiny little story of mind-control -- and how easily and quickly it can be imposed. This Perfect Day by Ira Levin Before he wrote Rosemary's Baby and The Boys from Berlin Levin wrote a freedom novel that deserves its place with any other in this list. Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter Vietnam veteran Bob Lee Swagger leaves the comfort of the Arkansas hills to undertake one last mission for his country, but he soon learns that he is the fall guy in a dark plot by mysterious government agents. A wonderful book for gun lovers. Hunter knows what he's talking about when he talks snipers -- and he makes it interesting, to boot.